Cold Forming Acrylic Sheet

Release mechanism for hanging plexiglas acrylic sheets in heating ovens.

Cold forming acrylic sheet.

Twenty four hours at 176 f 80 c dries most sheets. To calculate the minimum bend radius of curvature multiply the thickness of the sheet to be used by 330. Line bending or thermoforming a brasion resistant acrylic sheet is not recommended. It is important to provide sufficient clamping of the sheet during the forming process.

Before forming the sheet s temperature must be higher than the desired temperature to allow for cooling that will occur prior to the start of forming. To reduce the length of the forming cycle pre dry the sheet in a spare oven and transfer it directly into the forming oven at 176 f 80 c after the drying period. The forming range for acrylic sheet is 290 320ºf 142 160ºc. Even temperature distribution throughout the sheet s thickness is recommended.

Spectar supposedly looks and handles much like acrylic but with the surprising property that it can be cold formed without breaking or whitening and exhibits a memory effect holding a cold bend until reheated. This device can reduce appreciably the labor required for clamping and unclamping sheets preparatory to forming. Acrylite ff acrylic sheet is available in. Acrylite acrylic sheet is offered in several versions.

Uk educational supply center centre mindsets online sells variously sized 3mm thick sample sheets of eastman s spectar copolyester at not completely outlandish prices. It can also shorten the time required to transport the heated sheet from the oven to the forming equipment thus minimizing the possibility of cold forming. Cold forming plexiglas sheet can be cold formed bent at room temperature in a smooth arc and held to a radius by forcing the material into a curved channel support.